Chapter One: A New Friend
by izora13
Summary: A harry potter next gen. Albus as protagonist. Starting with epilogue rewritten in al's point of veiw ending with the begining of the sorting.


Chapter One: A New Friend

Albus had spent the whole car ride having to deal with James. James, who was angry that he got stuck with the middle seat again, had spent the whole ride shoving Albus into the door of the car, that was, until their mum told him off. From that point on James took up his new favorite taunt.

"You are going to be in Slytherin where you belong." James hissed in barely a whisper.

James had been telling Albus this for about two weeks now, and even though Al knew he shouldn't let it bother him, it did.

"Shut up James" Al mumbled. But he didn't; in fact, James continued to hassle him about it all the way to the barrier between platform nine and ten.

"The whole families going to disown when you get sorted into Slytherin." James said.

Al had had enough "I Won't! I won't be in Slytherin!" he shouted.

"James, give it a rest!" their mum said.

"I only said he might be," said James smirking at Al, Al hated that smirk. "There's nothing wrong with that. He might be in Slytherin" but then James saw the look his mum had and fell silent. Even James wasn't daring enough to challenge their mum.

James shot Albus one more arrogant look before he and the trolley disappeared into the barrier. Al then took his moment of freedom to turn to his parents and ask "You'll write to me, won't you?"

Albus was going to miss them. What if he didn't make friends, or worst what if everyone in Gryffindor was like James?

His mum smiled at him "Every day, if you want us to," she said.

"Not every day," said Albus quickly, if everyone in Gryffindor was like James he didn't want to give them a reason to make fun of him "James says most people only get letters from home about once a month."

"We wrote to James three times a week last year," his mum said reassuringly.

"And you don't want to believe everything he tells you about Hogwarts," his dad said. "He likes a laugh, your brother."

Al ran forward, through the barrier and was greeted by copious amounts of think white smoke billowing from the scarlet steam engine. He looked around, most people were obscured by the mist, and James had obviously vanished into the mist as well, but that wasn't who he was looking for.

"Where are they?" Al asked his mum anxiously, peering at each of the hazy faces they passed as he and his parents made their way toward the end of the platform.

"We'll find them," his mum said assuredly.

They continued for a little while longer till his mum said suddenly "I think that's them, Al."

Al looked toward where his mother was pointing and sure enough there they were his aunt, uncle, Hugo, and more importantly his cousin Rose.

"Hey," Albus shouted he was relieved; Rose was the one person in his family who understood him best.

"Hi Al are you ready?" Rose asked.

"Umm yes of course I am." Albus smiled.

Unconvinced, Rose said "don't worry if nothing else you'll have me."

Al frowned that's what he was afraid of "It's not very cool to only be friends with your cousin."

"Al you'll have plenty of friends, don't let James get to you."

"I'm not letting James get…" He said until he saw the look from of cousin. "fine."

He couldn't believe it was that obvious that James was getting to him. Rose was called over by her father minute later. At that very moment James reappeared obviously have having already set up in a cabin with his friends because his truck was gone. James had come back to tell everyone about his revelation of Teddy and Veronica's relationship a point which everyone had already come to, except James.

Al continues to be lost in his own thoughts and worries about whether he be placed in Slytherin or not until his dad said "it's nearly eleven, you'd better get on board."

Al went over to the trolley but before he could head out James call out to him "see you later Al, watch out for the thestrals."

"I thought they were invisible? You said they were invisible!" Albus said in the panic.

"Thestrals are nothing to worry about," his dad told him. "They're gentle things, there's nothing scary about them. Anyway, you won't be going up to school in the carriages, you'll be going in the boats."

Al's mom came over to kiss him goodbye "see you at Christmas." She said.

"By, Al." His dad said as he embraced him. "Don't forget Hagrid's invited you to tea next Friday. Don't mess with Peeves. Don't duel anyone till you're learned how. And don't let James wind you up."

This was it Al had to ask it was now or never. If anyone knew how the family would react it is his dad.

"What if I'm in Slytherin?" he whispered so only his dad could hear. As he asked this Al wanted to stay strong but this fear was stronger than he had realized, as hot tears began to fight to surface. His dad crouched down to his height and smiled gently. The next thing his father said may have been the most important thing he had ever said to Albus, it was one of those things you never forget no matter how old you get.

"Albus Severus you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."

Albus wanted for those words to be enough but "but just say…" Albus asked apprehensively

"Then Slytherin House will have gained an excellent student, won't it? It doesn't matter to us, Al. But if it matter to you, you'll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account."

As Albus listen he couldn't believe it "really?" he asked

"It did for me." His father said as he stood up.

His mum ushered him onto the train as the warning whistle blew. And as she closed the door behind him he noticed that most of the students weren't waving to their families, instead they were turned in the direction of his father.

"Why are they all staring?" He demanded as he looked out the window.

"Don't let it worry you," said his uncle Ron. "It's me, I'm extremely famous."

Albus rolled his eyes he knew it was because his dad defeated the famous dark wizard, but still he was just his dad and compared to his aunt Hermione his magic was second rate. How his dad could defeat the most powerful wizard ever, when he can't fend off the bat-bogey hex that his mum would put on him when she got her temper up, was beyond him.

The train lurched forward and began to gather speed. Al continued to wave at his parents until the platform disappeared from sight and was replaced with lush green trees and rolling hills.

Al turned away from the window to face the compartments hallway that was filled with rows of glass cabin doors. He walked down the hallway of the compartment peering in each room as he passed looking for his cousin and brother. It wasn't long before he found them, James and four of his friends and Rose. It was already very crowded, there was only one seat left next to Rose. Al slid the door open but as he did the brown haired kid closest to the door stood up and blocked the entrance.

"Sorry but no Slytherins allowed." The boy said.

Everyone in the compartment laughed except Rose, she pulled out a book and disappeared from the trouble at hand. Al didn't blame her if she did say something it would only make it worse for him, for being protected by a girl.

"You'd better move out of the way Derek, if he cries to mummy I'll have hell to pay." James said.

This boy must be Derek McLaggen. James had talked about him to their mum over the summer, apparently they were best mates. Derek took his seat laughing with the rest as Al lugged his trunk into the cabin. As Al attempted to lift his heavy trunk into the luggage rack the boys in the cabin began to hiss at him like snakes. It was as Al feared they were all on James's side, all of them, ready to give him hell just for the fun of it. Al set his trunk back down; there was no way he was going to get it up there by himself anyway. Furiously his turned to James who was laughing with the rest at his struggle.

"Oh come on Al, relax… Slytherin is not that bad, I'm sure you'll have fun with all your dark and brooding friends." James said smirking at Al.

Al absolutely hated that look, the look like he was better than everyone else. Fuming Al dragged his trunk back out of the cabin. He could deal with James if he had to but James and his friends? No way.

"Shut up, all of you. Albus come back, ignore them," Rose pleaded.

Al stopped and was about to return when James chimed in again.

"Yes, come back Al, Rose will protect you." James retorted.

Al picked up his trunk and cage and left, heaving the trunk as fast as he could, putting as much distance as possible between him and the uproar of laughter now swelling out of their cabin. He walked past cabin after cabin and compartment after compartment trying to find an empty cabin but to no prevail. With each consecutive cabin he pasted there seemed to be more and more people in each one.

Entering the last of the trains compartments he was about to give up and sit in the hall, until near the back of the last compartment there was a cabin with only one boy in it. The boy, who couldn't be much older than himself, was staring out the window looking very bored at the passing scenery. He was blond with pale skin and from the looks of it just a few inches taller than himself. Al slid open the door.

"Excuse me; I was wondering if I could sit here with you, all the other cabins are full." Al said.

The boy looked at Al for a minute before answering and then replied "sure"

Al smiled, grateful he wouldn't have to sit in the hall or worse go back to his brother's cabin in defeat. He dragged his trunk over the threshold and carefully set his great horned owl, Ptolemy, on the bench. Al began to lift his trunk into the luggage rack when the boy came up to help. With his help he was able to get it up there. Al sat down near the window opposite of the boy.

"Thanks," Al said as he sat down "Are you a first year?"

"Yes" the boy replied "you?"

"Same." Al said "I'm Albus…well actually I go by Al. I think Albus sounds boring."

"It's not that bad at least your name can be shortened. My name is Scorpius and Scorpius can't really be shortened. I wish it could, I hate it." Scorpius said.

"I like Scorpius it sounds cool, but if you don't like your name, then why don't you go by your middle name?" Al asked.

Scorpius shrugged "because my middle name is worse."

"Oh come off it, it can't be worse than mine. Mine is Severus."

"No it's worse than that." Scorpious said avoiding Al's eyes.

"What is it then? Come on tell me."

"Promise you won't tell?" Scorpius asked. Al shook his head yes and Scorpius sighed and said, "Hyperion."

"Ok you were right, that is worse." Al said. "But I still like Scorpius why don't you?"

"It's a stupid family tradition. Everyone names their kid after some kind of celestial body. So I'm named after the constellation Scorpio. Dumb right?" Scorpius looked up at Al.

"Not as dumb as naming your kid after two of Hogwarts headmasters." Al said.

For the first time Scorpius smiled "yah, I guess not."

Al smiled back at him the two sat there for a while looking out the window until Al said "It can be shorted you know."

"What can?" Scorpius said looking up from the window.

"Your name. You could be score or skip?" Al said

"No, score is what you do in quidditch and skip is just dumb." Scorpius said and returned to looking out the window.

"Well how about Scorp?" Al asked hopefully

"Scorp?" Scorpius thought about it for a second "ok Scorp's not bad. You can call me Scorp if you want to." Scorp beamed obviously pleased to have been given a nickname.

Al was happy too, Happy that he may have just made his first friend. After that they spent a long time taking about quidditch and the matches they had been to. Scorpius was in awe when Albus told him his mum was seeker for the Holyhead Harpies before James was born. Then they talked about tryouts.

"Did you know, that when our parents were at Hogwarts they didn't allow first years to try out?" Scorp said

Al did know. His dad had come home all excited the day that the new head of the department of magical games and sports was sworn in because it meant they were going to repeal the rule.

"Personal I hope to make chaser, I was practicing all summer." Scorp said "how about you?"

"I would love to be a seeker but I'll never get in, my brother made seeker last year and even though I'm better they would never pick me over him." Al said disheartedly.

Scorp was about to ask something when the door slid open.

"Hey Al look come on back we'll stop." James said entering the cabin holding out his hand to his little brother

Al didn't take it. "Why?"

"Because if you tell mum we kicked you out of the cabin I'll be in big trouble." James said

"No I don't want to and don't worry I won't tell mum." Al protested

"What?" James said retracting his hand "Why? Do you want to sit here with, with… who are you, really?" James gestured at Scorp.

"Scorpius Malfoy" Scorp said.

"WHAT! You're telling me you'd rather sit with a Malfoy than your own family? You know what our family thinks of their kind." James yelled.

"Your last name is Malfoy?" Al asked his new friend but before he could respond James said "No. there is no way I'm letting you stay here. Now come with me back to the cabin. Now."

"You are not letting me do anything. You don't control me. I want to stay here and that's what I'm going to do. You can just shut up and leave me alone." Al was furious he was tired of how James acted like the world revolved around him, he hated it. James just stood there dumb founded for a moment fuming at his brother words.

"Fine." James said "stay and hope you do get in Slytherin. You'd deserve it."

He turned on his heel and without another word he was gone.

"So that's your brother." Scorp said.

"Sorry I did not mean for you to be involved." Al said "and it's not true my family doesn't hate your family. Well some of them do but not my parents."

"Is your last name Weasley or Potter?" Scorp asked suddenly.

"It's Potter. Sorry I forgot to tell you. How did you know?" Al asked taken aback by this random question.

"My dad told me to avoid anyone with red hair because they would most likely be a Potter or a Weasley. You brother has reddish hair. I didn't realize that not all of you have red hair." Scorp said apprehensively

"I'm the only one of my cousins and siblings not to have red hair." Al replied

They sat in silence for a while each of them wondering what this would mean for their new found friendship.

Scorpius was the first to break the silence. "Why did you stay? Weren't you told not to be friends with me?"

"Yes. That's what my uncle told me, but I never listen to him, he's not exactly the smartest person in the world. And they must have been wrong about your family because you're not a terrible person at all in fact you're brilliant." Al smiled hopeful.

Scorp grinned back at Al. "You too. But your brother on the other hand, is he always like that?"

"Yah, I can't stand him." Al said beaming

Scorp smiled but as Albus watched him he saw a thought enter into his mind and the smile run away from Scorp's face. "What house will you be in?" Scorp asked

Truthfully Al hadn't thought of the sorting since he stood on the platform. He had just enjoyed his time talking to Scorpius he forgotten all about it. He wasn't smart enough for Ravenclaw and he broke the rules far too much to be in Hufflepuff. That just left Gryffindor right? But the image of James and his friends all pitted against Albus and all of them Gryffindors, floated into his mind. Did he really want that? But what else was there, Slytherin, could he really be a Slytherin?

"I don't know." Al said. And it was true he really didn't know. "Are you going to be In Slytherin?"

"Yes, it's really the only house I belong in. You know if you did get in Slytherin you could be the seeker." Scorp said as he looked at Al.

Albus smiled; maybe his dad was right, Slytherins weren't that bad.

"Maybe. It would be nice not to be known as James's little brother and I wouldn't have to deal with James." Al said mostly to himself.

"Yah and if you get sorted into Slytherin you know you'd have a friend." Scorp said while looking at his feet.

Al smiled. Just then the trolley lady passed by, and asked them if they wanted anything. They both bought some cauldron cakes and pumpkin pasties. As they ate their treats and talked about which classes they were most excited to take, the sun slowly sunk in the horizon and they knew it was time to don their new Hogwarts robes. It wasn't long after that that the train began to lose speed and stop. The boys gathered their belongings and made their way out on the platform. The platform swelled with kids all in black robes all making their way through the crowd.

"First years! First years over here!"

Albus and Scorpius both turned in the direction of the booming voice. It was Hagrid. Albus knew Hagrid he had been invited over for Christmas before. Al led the way Scorp following behind him. When they got close they saw a whole group of first years huddled around Hagrid's feet, among them was Rose. Rose turned as they approached and ran to hug Al around the neck.

"Al James told us you didn't want to come back to the cabin and then he wouldn't say why. What happened?" she said squeezing Al around the neck. When she let go he introduced her to Scorp and then explained to her what happened.

"Oh James is such a brute sometimes, he has no tact at all." She said furrowing her brow in disapproval. "Scorpius I'm sorry he acted like that but you must know not all of us think badly of you and your family."

"Yah I know." Scorp said "Al made that clear enough."

But before anyone could say anything else, Hagrid saw them and called out to them.

"Albus! Blimey is that you? You look just like your dad." Hagrid peered down his beard at the three of them.

"Hi Hagrid!" Al said looking up at the giant man.

"Well I guess it's time to be leaving don't want to be late." Hagrid said before he called out to all of the first years now surrounding them. "All right everyone follow me."

They all follow Hagrid down a shady path to the edge of a lake. Looking across the lake they could see the castle reflected in the still waters. At the edge of the lake there were rows of little boats bobbing up and down in the water.

Hagrid shouted "No more than four to a boat."

Rose, Al and Scorpius filed into the nearest boat and Hagrid joined them. As the boats began to travel across the still waters unaided by the occupants Hagrid asked "Who might you be."

"Scorpius Malfoy." Scorp stated.

"Oh you look A lot like him, your dad." Hagrid said confused as to why Albus would be around this kid.

"Lots of people tell me that." Scorp said

"What house do you think you'll be in Scorpius?" Hagrid asked trying to find a redeeming quality

"Slytherin." Scorp said defiantly

"Oh" Hagrid said for lack of a better word.

But Rose, being the clever girl she was, knew what that might mean for Albus. "What house do you think you'll be in Al?" Rose asked.

Al knew what she meant by that. She meant if your friend is in Slytherin, will you want to be in Slytherin? To that Al didn't know what to say all he knew was if he was in Gryffindor he would be unhappy and forever in James's shadow. If was in Slytherin he would be happy but he would forever be the black sheep of the family. He didn't know which was worse.

"I don't know maybe I'll just be a Hufflepuff." Al said halfheartedly

"A Hufflepuff? Al, don't you want to be in Gryffindor like everyone else?" Hagrid said taken aback by all that had happened.

"I don't know." Al said looking down at his feet.

Rose always knew what to say, that was one of the reasons Al liked her best. "Al it's what you want, don't let other people tell you what you should do. Even if you get in Slytherin I'd still be your friend. We're family, Al, that's what we're here for."

Al smiled he knew what he should do. Perhaps he had known all along and didn't want to admit it. Now that his dad and his cousin Rose had both told him, he knew. He valued their opinions more than anyone else. The only question now was, was he brave enough? He never describe himself as brave he was always warily before making any choices, it probably had a lot to do with his older brother. Could he, did he dare? He was frightened of the answer.

As the boats came upon the castle there was a collective gasp from the first years. Al was among them as they floated in the warm glow of the castle windows. There was nothing quite like Hogwarts. The boats arrived at a small landing near the castle. All of the first years exited the little boats and stood in the little area In front of the door leading into the castle. A tall witch with dark hair, eyes, and skin in olive-colored robes and a pointed hat appeared through the door. She looked to be a very strict woman making the few first years that were talking fall silent at the sight of her.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, I'm professor Sinistra, deputy headmistress and head of Ravenclaw house. Tonight you will be sorted into one of the four Hogwarts houses. All Hogwarts students live in one of four residences: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin. Each house has its own team for Quidditch. The houses are in a yearlong competition with one another to acquire the most points, which are earned by success in Quidditch games, answering questions correctly in class and other things during school which teachers feel they deserve points for. Points are lost for student infractions. So I hope for all of you to be on your best behavior during your time here at Hogwarts. Now if you will all follow me the sorting can begin."

The first years followed her through the door. As Albus entered what he thought was going to be a room but as he passed the threshold he saw it was not room but an enormous hallway, the vaulted ceiling was so high it that I could not be lit by the torches on the stone wall. To the left was a grand marble staircase lending to the upper floors. Down the hall to the right Al could see an opening with bright light spilling from the room. As they approached the opening Al saw large double doors pushed aside almost as high as the ceiling itself and from within he could hear laughter and chatting of what could only be the rest of the student body.

Al suspicions were confirmed as the first years entered the room. The whole student body was there, all of them sitting in the great hall. Al's family had mentioned the great hall before but they never said how brilliant it was. There were the four house tables and in the far back the staff table but that was not the best part, the best part was above the student's heads. There must have been thousands of floating candles, Al wondered if the candles would drip wax on their heads but he figured that were probably enchanted not to, And the ceiling of this magnificent room seemed to open on to the heavens themselves.

"Keep up!" Professor Sinistra said to the group.

Al snapped out of it and from the looks of it so did most of the first years including Scorp. The only person not impressed was Rose. As Al looked at her she whispered to him and Scorp "it's only enchanted."

Al was going to say something back but before he could Scorp said. "Yes, but that doesn't make it any less cool."

"If you say so" Rose said rolling her eyes at their fellow first years who were still gawking at the ceiling instead of following professor Sinistra to the front of the hall.

When all of the first years had gathered in the front of the hall, Sinistra called for silence. As silence fell across the hall and the ragged hat upon the stool began to move, Al knew this was it, now or never, the sorting was about to begin.


End file.
